FAIRFIELD, OH (November 1, 2022)—The Nuxhall Foundation has received a major gift towards a project that The Ole Lefthander dreamt of for years—and the gift comes from our very own founding family.
Kim, Bonnie, and Phil Nuxhall have pledged a half-million-dollar matching gift to The Nuxhall Foundation to fund development and construction of The Hope Center at the Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields. Kim Nuxhall announced the gift on behalf of the family at the 7th Annual Miracle Ball presented by The Hatton Foundation on Friday, October 28, 2022 at the Oscar Event Center at Jungle Jim’s in Fairfield in front of a sold-out crowd.
“For me, it’s all about gratitude and humility,” said Kim Nuxhall, President and Board Chairman of The Nuxhall Foundation. “How can one not be humbled when you drive on three different streets named after your father in three different cities? Or walk by his statue on the way to a Reds game or another statue at the very ballpark you grew up playing on? We make this gift in honor of my Mom and Dad with hearts full of gratitude for the dreams they inspired us to dream.”
The Hope Center is the next big dream of The Nuxhall Foundation in their quest to create the world’s most comprehensive recreational campus for athletes with special needs. This nearly 30,000 square foot, year-round, indoor facility will provide a permanent arena and home to the Butler County Special Olympics to host sports like basketball, volleyball, floor hockey, karate, and more. The building will also feature universally-designed play and recreational facilities, a wheelchair-accessible zipline, accessible rock-climbing walls, a therapy suite for outside medical providers and social service agencies, and a sensory play area for children and families. In addition, The Hope Center will be home to the Butler County Special Abilities Hall of Fame (to be founded and managed by The Nuxhall Foundation), and The Nuxhall Archives—a special display of the memorabilia and artifacts from Joe Nuxhall’s life and career.
“Having been raised by two very giving parents, Kim and I saw how rewarding it is to be kind and giving to others,” said Phil Nuxhall, Joe and Donzetta’s eldest son. “And what I loved most about them was their humbleness and lack of vanity and ego. They always preferred their charitable donations be anonymous and never, ever boasted. Although Kim and I would prefer anonymity with our donation, our hope is that it will inspire others to give and allow us to reach our goal in providing so many individuals with special needs with a facility they need and deserve so badly.”
The Hope Center project is currently in the final architectural design phases. According to the organization’s strategic plan Nuxhall NextGen, the project will break ground in 2023 with the goal of completing construction in 2024.
“Kim, Bonnie, and Phil Nuxhall have done so much to inspire our organization and fuel the dreams we have for the community we serve,” said Nuxhall Foundation Executive Director Tyler Bradshaw. “This unbelievably gracious gift puts us one large step closer to a dream that Joe had before he passed. It’s truly inspired, and pure class from a family that has already given so much.”
Individuals and corporations who wish to donate towards this matching grant given towards The Hope Center project can:
Donate online at www.nuxhallmiracleleague.org/donate (choose “The Hope Center” as your chosen cause),
Mail in a donation to: The Nuxhall Foundation, PO Box 18146, Fairfield, OH 45018 (direct memo line towards The Hope Center),
Contact Nuxhall Foundation Executive Director Tyler Bradshaw at (513) 839-6164 or tyler@nuxhallmiracleleague.org
The Nuxhall Foundation is the legacy foundation for former Major League Baseball pitcher and longtime Cincinnati Reds broadcaster, Joe Nuxhall. A central project of The Nuxhall Foundation is The Joe Nuxhall Miracle League Fields—an entirely accessible baseball and recreational facility where every player with every challenge gets every chance to play. More than 200 players between ages 4 to 78 participate in programs at the Miracle League Fields.
For more information, visit http://www.nuxhallmiracleleague.org. To learn more about The Hope Center project, visit www.nuxhallmiracleleague.org/hope.
For all media inquiries or to make a gift towards this half-million dollar matching goal, please contact:
Tyler Bradshaw
(513) 839-6164